Regulator seal



April 19, 1949- K. l.. B ERNINGER 2,467,955

REGULATOR SEAL Filed Feb. 12, v1945 lNyENl-og Ken-n ath Lzermn ge r 2 Ilia ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE lREGULATOR SEAL Kenneth L. Berninger, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to.

General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application February 12, 1945, Serial No. 577,499

5 Claims. (Cl. 286-1111) This invention relates to aircraft propellers having a regulator and hydraulic means for adjusting the pitch of the blades, and has for an object to provide a controllable seal between regulatory Carried. by the hub extension I8 is a regulator 24 comprising a conduit plate 26 and a cover .-member 28 secured together by screw devices 38.

The conduit plate 26 is supported by the hub extension I8 and is retained thereon by means housing and an adapter sleeve. l 5 of a sleeve nut 32 threaded onto the hub exten- A further object of the invention is to provide sion as at 34. The cover member 28 is somea uid seal between relatively rotatable parts for what of L-shaped cross-section, but at all events the elimination of leakage from within the reguprovides a radially inward rim 36 approaching lator while the rotatable parts are at rest, and but spaced from the hub extension I8, and is for venting the regulator while the parts are relal channeled yat 38 to provide a seal passage. tively rotating. Surrounding the hub extension I8 and the sleeve A further object of the invention is to provide nut 32 there is an adapter assembly 40 lthat coma controllable seal between relatively rotatable blues with the plate 26 and cover 24 to providev parts which seal will engage the parts against an annular-reservoir 42, for housing hydraulic leakage while at rest, and will disengage the parts l control elements for the propeller, and a quantity under a condition of rotation of one of the parts. of hydraulic operating uid. Essentiallythe A further object of the invention is to provide adapter assembly 40 comprises a sleeve 44 sura seal between relatively rotating parts with rounding the sleeve nut 32 and having one end means for axially shifting the seal element when thereof journ-alled in a bearing 46 secured to the the sealed condition is either effected or released. plate 26, While the opposite end of the sleeve 44 A further obj ect of the invention is to provide carries a pump driving gear 48 axially spaced from a controllable seal between relatively rotating the bearing 46, and between which bearing and parts with a centrifugal means for engagingJand gear a control ring 50 is axially slidable on the dlsengaging the seal element with the seal sursleeve 44 for shifting a carriage 52 adapted to faces. adjust a fulcrum 54 of a governor valve 56, al1 Further Objects and advantages of the present of which is well known to those experienced in invention will be apparent from the following the art. Attached to the aft end of sleeve 40 description. reference being had to the accomthat is, near the gear 48, there is a ring 58 Danying drawings wherein a preferred embOdiacting as a spacer and a centralizer for supportment of the present invention is clearly shown. ing the sleeve 44 from an annular ilange plate 60,

In the drawings: by means of screw devices 62 passing thru the Fig- 1 iS a View in elevation With Darts breken plate 60 ring 58, and threading into the sleeve away so as to show in section the details of the 44. Journalled about `the ring 58 there is a ring instant invention. gear 64 having an actuating arm 66 by which the Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale 35 ring 64 is oscillatable to rotate pinion 68 on conshowing the juncture of relatively rotating parts, trol screws 10, that aiect axial movement of the with the Seal in the engaged relatiOn t0 Stop uid v control ring 50. The flanged plate 60 on its rearpassage between the parts. ward side has a flange 12 that is notched at I4 to Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the seal elements engage a tongue or lug 'I6 of a clip I8 engaging a disengaged fOr breathing 0r Venting of the regu? 40 piloting ring 80 that is secured to the engine lator. nosing by screw devices such as 82.

With particular reference to the drawings, l0 By this construction, the adapter assembly 48, indicates an engine nosing or gear casing from while it shiftably surrounds the hub extension I 8 which extends a rotatable plOPeller Shaft l2 it is restrained against rotation relative to the enmounting a propeller hub I4 having ya plurality 45 gine nosing by means of the notch and lug engageof blade sockets I6. The hub I4 is provided With ment "I6, and has its fore end journalled within the a rearwardly extending portion or sleeve I8 which bearing ring 46, with the spring ring portion 58 engages the usual cone seat 20 carried by the thereof being in substantial radial alignment with shaft l2, and iS effectively driven thru the agency the flange 36 of the regulator cover. The organof cooperating splines 22 on the inner portion of 5 izationis such that the shaft I2 and hub extenthe sleeve I8 and on the outer portion 0f the Shaft sion I8 may rotate relative to but within the sleeve l2; the usual shaft nut retaining the parts in portion 44, while the regulator proper, that is,

proper relation as .is well known t0 all thOSe eX- the plate 26 and cover 24 for the enclosed hydraulic perlenced in the art. fluid, and regulator mechanism such as 56, -all 55 rotate remtive to but outside of the sleeve u.

The chamber thus enclosed, ls about half fllled with the hydraulic fluid and during a state of rotation the iluid will lay along the outer periphery oi' the chamber due to centrifugal force, such as indicated at 84, in which instance all of the hydraulic fluid seeks a part of the reservoir radially outward of the juncture 86 between the regulator cover and adapter assembly. While the apparatus is at rest all of the hydraulic iiuid will drain to the lowermost portion of the regulator 24 because of the absence of centrifugal force. Thus, while at rest the hydraulic uid, or a goodly portion thereof would be lost by flow from between the flange 38 of the cover and ring 58 of the adapter assembly. To prevent that, a seal assembly 88 is housed within the groove 38 of the cover for stopping such flow while the parts are at rest.

The seal assembly in detail is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, where the parts are shown on a larger scale for cleamess, and comprise the rim 36 defining the annular recess 38 bounded on the planar side by a web 90, and on the'inner side by a step ring 92 secured to the flange 36 by the screw devices 94, thus rendering the channel 38 substantially U-shape in cross-section with its open side inwardly. This channel therefor forms what may be called a seal groove and cooperates to house a resilient rubber-like seal ring 96, that is so dimensioned that its inside diameter is slightlyvless than the .outside diameter of the spacer ring 58, or such that the seal ring 96 must be stretched slightly in order to pass over the outside of the spacer ring 58. Loosely and axially movable along the aft end of the sleeve 44 there is a follower ring 98 that has a cylindrical portion and an outwardly flaring portion |02, with a peripheral rim |04. The cylindrical portion |00 is freely slidable alon'g the adapter assembly between the pump driving gear 48 and the seal ring 96, and the iiaring portion |02 is adapted to engage the seal ring 96 long before the rim |04 may engage the web portion 90. Encircling the follower ring 98 there is a garter spring |06 adapted to engage the flaring portion |02 of the follower ring and the depending portion of the step ring 92. The tension of the spring |06 is such as to normally act from the step ring 92 to press against the ilaring portion |02 and crowd the seal ring 96 against the web 90 such as to effect a sealing contact therewith at |08. In addition to this axial pressing of the ring 96 against the web 90 to effect the sealing contact at |08, the spring |06 also elects a radial component of pressure on the seal ring 96 to increase the sealing engagement at ||0 in relation to the ring 58. Thus, any iiuid content within the reservoir 42 is prevented from leaking thru the space 86 because of the sealing contact at |08 and H0. This seal relation is necessary or desired only during the time that the propeller is at rest and while there is no relative rotation between the cover assembly and the adapter assembly. When there is relative rotation between those parts the hydraulic fluid within the reservoir 42 will be thrown outwardly against the outer wall of the regulator to ll the region indicated at 84, and thereby is far removed from the spacing 86 between the cover and adapter assembly. The garter spring |06 is loaded with weight members, such as balls I2, that operate under centrifugal force to withdraw the spring |06 from engagement with the follower ring 98 at some low speed of regulator rotation, and after the hydraulic fluid has moved outwardly from the inner position.

Fig. 3 illustrates the parts of the seal assembly noted in Fig. 3 that the reservoir 42 is open in a.n

iluid sense to the outside of the regulator, since air or gases may freely ow thru a circuit between the pump driving gear 48 and the step ring 92, and between the step ring 92, spring |06 and balls ||2 on one hand, and the flaring portion |02 on the other hand, thence between the rim |04 and the flange 36 and web 90. and thence between the ring 96 and web 90 and finally between theend of the web 90 and ring 58, and out of the annular space 86. Thus, in the retracted position of the spring assembly and'seal ring gaseous flow may be effected either inwardly to or outwardly from the reservoir, which provides for breathing or venting of the regulator tending to equalize the pressure within and without while the apparatus is rotating.

During aircraft flight in which vast dilerences of air pressure are experienced between take-of! and high level fiying there is experienced vast diierences of air pressure, and were it not for a releasable seal -for the reservoir there would be considerable loss of hydraulic uid as the craft would go thru the various ight levels. Efficiency of operation would also be imposed and there might even be an explosion of some of the controlling apparatus.

The seal arrangement herein described not only controls the seal relation between the movable parts in accordance with the demands of the opa erating system, but it also eliminates friction of running parts when the seal is retracted, thus prolonging the life of the seal elements, since wear upon the vital elements is wholly withdrawn as soon as a satisfactory speed of rotation is eccomplished. Yet, when the apparatus slows down so that there is little or no relative rotation between the moving parts, then the resilient seal ring 96 is forceably urged into sealing engagement with the web 90 at |08 and with the ring 58 at ||0. The amount of relative rotation between the parts, and the spring force urging the seal ring into engagement with the web and ring are so calibrated that there is no chang of the seal ring due to the small amount of regulator rotation during seal set condition. As soon as the regulator rotation is high enough to cast the hydraulic fluid entirely away from the space 86, or in fact away from the adapter sleeve 44 the spring force is lreleased from the follower ring and consequently from the seal ring, so that there is no sliding engagement between the ring 96 and web 90. What little sliding relation there is between the seal ring 96 and web 90, which can only take place at times when the regulator rotation is starting or is stopping, is thoroughly lubricated by the hydraulic fluid that may be present in the U-shaped channel between the step ring 92 and the web whilethe apparatus was at rest.

While the embodiment of the present inven- 1 tion as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows;

1. A relatively xed part, a relatively rotatable part disposed about the xed part, one of said parts providing a channel opening toward the other part, a loose resilient seal ring disposed in said channel and adapted to engage one side wall of the channel and the said other part for stopping nuid ilow between the parts, a follower ring having a part disposed in the channel and movable axially for engagement with the resilient seal ring, clrcumscrlbing yielding means disposed in the channel normally urging the follower ring l into engagement with the seal ring and the seal ring into engagement with the channel wall, and means responding to predetermined speed oi' rotation ofthe rotatable part for releasing the axial l j partdisposed about the iixedpart, one of said parts providing a channel opening toward the other part and having opposed planar walls, ay p resilient rubber-like seal-ring of circular section disposed in the said channel frictionally engaging the said other part, and adapted to be rolled along saidother part to engage one of the planar walls ot said one part, a loose ring having a camming surface-engageable .with the seal ring for rolling it against the planar wall, centritugally responsive means operable to\ engage upon the loose ring while the parts are at"rest to engage the seal ring with the planar wall, and operable under rotation of the rotatable part to disengage from the loose ring so that the seal may back oir from engagement with the planar wall.

4. A relatively ilxed cylindrical part, a relatively rotatable partdisposedf'about the-ilxed part and having a channel facing the fixed part, a

rubber-like resilient ring disposed in the channel and under tension to frlctionally engage the xed part. said resilient ring being adapted to roll on a side ot the channel,- a rigid ring disposed in the channel loosely embracing the ilxed part and f having a flared portion adapted to engage the contact.

c 40 2,352,336 the iixed part into and out oi engagement with c urging the rigid ring against the resilient ring when there is no relative rotation between the parts and operable to release pressure thereon when a predetermined relative rotation has been attained, whereby a seal will be established during non-rotation of the parts.

5. A relatively xed cylindrical part, a relatively rotatable part disposed about the fixed part and having a channel facing the iixed part, with 1o the edge' of one wall of the channel radially spaced from the fixed part, a rubber-like ring of circular ysection disposed in the channel and stretched to frictionally engage the iixed part in a line contact but adapted toroll axially thereof to engage the channel wall along a line of contact and to roll away therefrom, a rigid ring disposed in the channel and adapted to move axially of the fixed part, said rigid ring having a conic portion adapted to engage the` rubber-likering along a line of contact, yielding means circumscribing the conic portion of said rigid ring and engaging one wall of said channel for normally moving the rigid ring axially of the fixed part to increase the pressure of engagement alongA all of the lines of contact while the parts are not relatively rotating, and means responding to centrifugal force during relative rotation of the parts for decreasing the pressure along all lines oi' KENNETHL. BERNINGEB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references arel of record in the ille of this patent:

35 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,353,095 Unseen et a1. sept. 14, 1920 2,076,747 salisburg Apr. 13, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 182,441 Great Britain 1922 Germany 1928 Martin et al June 27, 1944 

